NO SPOILERS! NO RE-READING REQUIRED! Listen in to hear how Brookner's use of narrative voice, tons of figurative language and other plot elements make this novel--set in Switzerland--a must read.
This lecture--the first in a three-part exploration of Munro--gets nitty gritty in all the best ways. Delve with Kimberly into the elements that make her prose feel like nothing else on the planet. Whether you've read everything she wrote, or you're new to her work, you'll come away with a much richer appreciation of this absolute genius.
Tune in for close readings that illuminate why McCarthy's prose is so gorgeous, why his influences are key, and why Kimberly is so happy about him finally centering A WOMAN in these, his final texts. Plus! A literary PARLOR TRICK that definitively proves Kimberly's hot-take thesis about digression in The Passenger.
If you love DIdion's inimitable prose and you're interested in any kind of history or intrigue or scandal--listen in. NO SPOILERS!
Sittenfeld is soooo good. Her latest delivers a fascinating, intimate look at life as a comedy writer on the world's foremost live, nighttime, sketch comedy show--all while promising that she'll work within the conventions of ROMANTIC comedy. Or will she?? Listen to Kimberly extol Sittenfeld's structure, the use of all five senses, the deft character development, excellent sex writing and, of course, the use of HUMOR. Get the most out of this novel whether you've finished it or want to see how to best approach the work. (NO SPOILERS!)
NO RE-READING NECESSARY! Kimberly only sought out Aciman because she loved the movie Call Me by Your Name--but she loved the fiction enough to seek out more. Tune in to hear about the use of figurative language, the structure, the pacing and the choice of details that make this work so ATMOSPHERIC.
Baker's hilarious, inventive prose melds with incredibly well curated images to produce something only Baker could produce. Kimberly LOVED diving in to the many ways in which the guy is creating literary (and visual) magic.
NO RE-READING REQUIRED! PLUS!! SPECIAL GUEST STAR: JOHN STEINBECK!! Tune in to hear all the ways in which this 1952 classic surprised Kimberly. Its insanely great sense of place, its lessons in history, its denigration/elevation of women, its biblical underpinnings...Kimberly's list of its attributes could go on and on. Whether EAST OF EDEN is your favorite of all time, or whether you have only hazy ninth-grade memories of Lenny squeezing that bunny in OF MICE AND MEN--tune in to hear why Steinbeck really deserved that Nobel Prize.
This publishing industry thriller was SUCH GOOD grist for Kimberly's mill. Listen in to appreciate all the elements that made the novel an "instant" best seller. Its literary merit is almost as great as the important philosophical questions is raises. This book is sooooo good.
If you can't remember what's ingenious about CARRIE's narrative stance, its sophisticated structure, its use of motif and of "scientific evidence"--you MUST TUNE IN to fully appreciate the genius King's first novel.
Join Kimberly to hear how this behind-the-scenes immersion in British tabloid journalism hits all the right notes. You'll come away with a deeper understanding of why Nolan's masterful narrative stance, pacing, character development and structure make this so much more than an excellent thriller.
Didion needs almost no description. Kimberly argues why you should read this seminal work, touches on Didion’s biography then digs into why her engaging, dark, entirely inimitable prose is almost universally respected. (For parts 2 and 3 of this lecture, scroll down through the episodes to Lecture 7!)
NO PRE-READING REQUIRED! Listen in for all you need to know about HUCK FINN (without spending days reading Twain). Kimberly shares not only why JAMES is an insanely great revisioning of the 1884 adventure story--but why Everett's crucial text is important, hilarious, unique and JUST SO GOOD.
Kimberly always describes Cassandra at the Wedding as a near-perfect novel. From Baker’s insanely great use of figurative language to nostalgia for the Berkeley and the Central Valley of the early 60s, to an incisive exploration of individuation in the case of identical twins–the novel is a huge crowd pleaser every time Kimberly teaches it. (NOTE: this lecture kind of assumes you've read (or are reading) the novel. There are likely references to spoilers. If you're trying to get a sense of the book, maybe check out the five-minute recommendation further down in the episode list!)
Listen in as Kimberly parses the many reasons why LONGBOURN is her favorite of all Austen adaptations. You'll end up with a much deeper understanding of why this insanely novel has it all.
Jane Austen week continues! Janice Hadlow gives us a new perspective on familiar parts of Pride and Prejudice--then goes beyond to imagine a whole new world. Join Kimberly for insights on history, usage of the source material and levity in the original.
Ever wondered what the Bennet family BLACK SHEEP was actually up to? Wonder no more! Taub's juicy, witchy novel is so well done. Listen as Kimberly explains how Taub's witchy-ness is an important feminist statement! Even if you aren't a huge Jane Austen fan (Kimberly herself isn't completely rabid) Taub's work is so worth your while!
Kimberly dips into the Regency Era--don't remember why it's called that? tune in!--then digs into Jane's use of irony and satire to appreciate why the work is so revolutionary, so deft and SO FUNNY.
Listen in to see how to get the most out of Woolf's most hilarious, inventive, ground-breaking novel--while reveling in some of the best prose in the English language.
Your 12-year-old self will come rushing right back–in the very best of ways! Kimberly digs in to the excellent prose, why MARGARET has never been out of print, and all the ways the novel is more about deep, engaging, questions than it is about periods.